Thursday, October 02, 2008

I have flat feet. And I walk like a duck. It's just the way I'm made, and it's not a way that's good for running.

Since I first started running in 2001, I've gotten shin splints. I usually manage them by orthotics, good shoes and just not running all that much. In Cairns I pretty much limited my running to twice a week.

I got new orthotics in March when my old ones started to disintegrate. But it seems the new ones just aren't quite cutting it. I got a shin splint in my right leg in May. My training for the half marathon suffered cause I'd run, the splint would come back, I'd take a week off, run again, the splint would come back... But things didn't start to get really bad til the Noosa training camp weekend. That weekend, I neglected to bring my strong anti-inflammatories and a good long run on three consecutive days on tired legs was the death of me.

The shin started hurting all the time, walking, running, lying in bed, I was in pain. I continued to try to treat it with rest, ice and AIs, but it just wasn't cutting it. I asked the assistant coach and he gave me some stretches to do. The following practice it was still really angry, so I asked the head coach and he sent me to physio. It was so painful the first time I went to physio he could barely touch it.

When I went to the states, I didn't bring my running shoes. The plan was for a good solid two weeks off. But now I'm back. I ran about 3Ks with my foot taped up, which felt better, then about 1K with it untaped. At which point the head coach benched me again saying I looked like Terry Fox (see video below).

My first triathlon of the season is Sunday, and it will also be the first triathlon I've started but won't finish. My orthotics are back with the podiatrist now for adjustment, and my coach thinks I shouldn't run for another 3 weeks, and even then it will be a slow process to get back into real running.

I hate it. I hate not being able to go out and do it. I hate missing practice. And I hate that I can't do anything about it except wait.

laura, this sucks. injuries shouldn't affect the people who most want to do things. it really is not fair. (p.s. thanks for the bodyglide - you'll be getting blog credit tmw.)just out of curiosity, have you seen a (many) high-end doctor(s)? is it the shape of your feet or the way you walk that is the problem? are orthotics the only answer? i think i have heard enough 'second opinion' stories to believe that there is always another solution. but really, i don't know.